The present invention relates to a multi-piece solid golf ball composed of a core over which have been formed two or more covers. More specifically, the invention relates to a multi-layer golf ball which enables the distance to be increased due to the ball rebound and a spin rate-lowering effect while retaining a good feel on impact, and which achieves an improved scuff resistance on approach shots.
There exists a desire recently for durability to repeated impact and for resistance to the formation of burrs (scuff resistance) on the surface of the ball arising from repeated impact with various types of clubs. Improvements in durability to cracking on impact and scuff resistance are of critical importance to the golfer as factors in the ability to use a ball for a long time.
At the same time, golf balls which travel farther when played and have a soft feel on impact are very appealing to the player. Ball developers have in the past proposed a variety of balls with this in mind. Numerous disclosures have been made in the art that provide an improved flight performance and an improved control on approach shots by giving the ball a solid, multi-piece construction having two or more cover layers and by optimizing the hardnesses of the respective layers and the core deflection.
Most such multi-piece solid golf balls include as a major component an ionomer resin-based outermost layer cover, but leave something to be desired in terms of their durability to repeated impact and their scuff resistance.
Various attempts have been made to further enhance the durability to cracking and the flight performance. Examples include the art disclosed in JP-A 2006-87925, JP-A 2006-87924, JP-A 2005-296655 and JP-A 2005-296654.
However, because the durability to cracking and flight performance of these prior-art golf balls is not yet sufficient, there remains room for further improvement.